Night target range finder



Dec- 7, 1937. c. H. SCHENK I NIGHT TARGET RANGE FINDER Filed March 22, 1.935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NVENroR.

ATT'RNEYS.

Dec. 7, 1937. c. H. scHENK v 2,101,479

NIGHT TARGET RANGE FINDER Filed March 22., 1935 2 SYM-2erS--SheefI 2Mizm I N V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 7, 1937 UNITED STAT-ES PATENT OFFICE NIGHT TARGETRANGEFINDEB,

Cleveland H. Schenk, Springfield, Ill.

Application March 22, 1935, Serial No. 12,342

2 claims. (C1. 24o-6.4.1)

My invention relates to night target markers contact with the lightbulbs in this form of the and more especially to targets-for guns foroiinvention.

cers of the law; an object being in my device to Figure lliisaperspective of the control switch provide a more -practical andconvenient target adapted to operate the lights in this form of my 5marker fortnight service than that one for which invention.- 5 I filedpatent application November 2, 1934, Figure 12 isa perspectiveillustrating the opbearing Serial No. 751,191. erating advantages of myinvention when in the A: purpose of my invention is to put to usehandofanoicer ofthe law at night. The target some more renedimprovements in such target range finder throws a. strong spot of lighton the l0 markers, which I have devisedand which I have spot whereabulletfrom a rifle or riot3 gun may 10 found-to. be both practical andeconomical to be expected to hit when the light and gun sight build andoperate, as well as to be convenient are 4properly adjusted for itsoperation. to 'manipulate. Referring now to-thedetails of construction Aparticular purpose of'- my improved device of my improvedtargetrangevnder, I provide 15 is to provide a new means of marking anight a casingIhaving-,an upper compartment 2 and 15 target, a betterillumination for the target and a. lower compartment 3. This casing isadapted greater convenience in the manipulation of the tO- beresiliently and Sldably Secured t0 a gun target marking light. barrel;as is :shown in Fig. 12 by sliding this grip I.; attain theobjectslofmy invention with the member. 4xback on the barrel of the gunand this device described-in the annexed specification, regrip member isslidably held in groove 5` for 20 cited in the claims and illustrated inthe accomthe -supportzofcasing I.

panying drawings in which like reference nu- Irl the upper COmDItmeDt. IDIOV'ie in an meralsindicate like parts-in the several figures.adjustable mounting 5' a plano-Convex lens l Referring to the-figures;mounted in the forward end of compartment 2 Figure 1 is a, 1ongitudina1half-Section of the for the purpose of focusing the illumination from g5rifle or riot gun type of target range finder of light bulb 8 to a`bright' spotof light shown at my-finvention. 9-in Figure 12. This lightbulb has a reflector Figure 2 is a, front View 0f the device shown in I0irl-Which it iS adjustably mounted and Which section in Figure 1. is inturn mounted for further adjustment in a Figure 3 is a cross section ofmy device taken ring` ll Suppmting adjusting SCrGWS l2, l3 l4 3() from 31-,0- 3 ,ou Figure 1 and I5 adapted to be used for the lateral adjust-Figure 4 is. a perspective of the mounting ring ment either up or downor sidewse of light 8 adapted to hold the screw shown in Figure 3 byWhen fOCuSng the SDOt 0f light Where it is dewhich adjustments are madein the position of Sil'ed t0 throw it.

the light in the top compartment of my night These screws-are eachmounted in ring II in 35 range fmder, cross Wise slots soas to permitthe desired lat- Figure 5 is a rear view of the control switch for eraladjustment 0fA lightV bulb 3 Which they Supthe lights usedin myinvention. Port- Figure 5a is a vertical half section of theIn'addllton-to` thisconvenience provided in t0n 40 Swii-,uh-as viewedfrom the right of Figure 5, compartment: 2 I also provide a reflectortube I6 40 Figure 6 is an enlarged detail of the terminal Shapedn amanner making the Same Smaller at from the batteries adapted to contactwith the the forwar @d @han it is at th? rear end in ccntrol switchdiameter w1th 1ts mner surface polished so that when the light comingfrom bulb 8 is thrown for- Flgure 7 1s a' longitudmal half sect-lon ofthe wardby reflector Illthis illumination as it leaves 45 revolver typeof target range nder of my m" the casing through lens l throws astronger light vemfwn' around the focused spot of light 9 (see Fig. 12)Flgure 8 1s a from' new of the del/10e Shown m thus enabling the o lcerusing the same to better Figure 7 in Sectionobserve the target and itssurroundings. At the Figure 9 1S a Perspective 0f the mountmg rmg rear`of casing I is a-detachable closure II adapt- 50 adapted t0 adjustablySupport the target range ed to seat over pin I8 and snap into hole I9where llding light bulb in the upper cmparlmerlt 0f -the hole in pin2li-'is resiliently held in place by a my invention. spring 2|.

Figure 10 is a perspective of the plate used The lower compartment 3supports a forward aheadof the batteries for supporting the metalliclens 2tv adjustably mounted in a supporting ring 55 23 which alsosupports a reflector 24 and a light bulb 25.

Batteries 25 and 21 supply the current for bulbs 8 and 25 and areoperatively contacted with each other by contact member 28 while bulb 25makes a constant resilient contact with strip 29 while the current frombatteries 26 and 21 passing through wire 38 back to the rear of casingmakes resilient contact with switch member 3| through wire 30.

As an explanation of the switch control lights 8 and 25 it may be saidthat the single control member 34 is adapted to be slidably moved in aslot 4| in insulating plate 31 and this control member has a contact end38 pressing against the switch members 33, 39 and 40; as the singlecontact member 33 touches the battery 26.

It will thus be noted that when it is desired to turn on light 8, thenthe switch control member 34 will be slidably moved over tocontactswitch member 43 so that this member 40 may be placed over againstcontact member 35 which will carry the battery current to light 8. Whereit is desired to have both lights 8 and 25 on at the same time, thenswitch control member 34 is moved over in slot 4| far enough to pressagainst switch member 39 in the middle moving the same out to meetcontact members 3| and 35 which will carry current to bulb 8 and bulb 25but where it is desired to turn on only bulb 25, then the switch controlmember 34 is moved over in slot 35 far enough to meet switch member 33causing the same to meet switch contact member 3| carrying the batterycurrent from member 32 through contact member 3| by touching switchmember 33.

It will be noted that the battery contact 32 and the switch members 33,39 and 40 are all integral, while switch member 4U touches contact 35when pressed into engagement therewith, switch member 39 touches bothcontact members 3| and 35 when pressed into engagement therewith byslidably moving control member 34 and switch member 33 touches contactmember 3| when turning on light 245.

It will be observed that when screws 2, 3, 4 and l5 rest in cross slots36, 31, 38 `and 39 that any lateral adjustment desired may be made inthe supported position of light 8 and reflector l0.

In this lower compartment is also mounted a partition and conductormember 40.

In Figure 7 will be observed the revolver type form of my casing whereinthe grip member 4 slidably engages a revolver barrel not shown as thisgrip is slidably adjusted in groove 5.

In this form of my casing, I secure the planoconvex lens 1 in theforward end of upper compartment 4| in connection with which I providethe reector tube 42 extending from lens 1 back to the mounting for bulb43 which is mounted for lateral adjustment in ring 44 having adjustingscrews 45 and 46, with screws 41 and 48 not shown.

In ring 44 screws 45, 46, 41 and 48 are respectively mounted foradjustment in slots 49, 50, 5| and 52.

The shape of this casing requires an arrangement of the batteries 53 and54 in a manner permitting battery 53 to be supported in the uppercompartment 4| of this casing 55 vrith battery 54 resting parallel withbattery 53 but in lower compartment 56 of this casing the closure memberfor this casing is the same in construction as closure |1 for the firstform of my invention shown in Fig. 1 and will be so designated while thelatch members are the same.

I provide a lower light bulb 51 mounted in socket 58 at the forward endof lower compartment 56 in casing 55 while I provide a partition plate59 rearward of bulbs 43 and 51 and forward of batteries 53 and 54 toprovide a partition between the batteries and light bulbs as aninsulation member and yet to support the contact member 6B whichestablishes connection between batteries 53 and 54 and bulbs A43 and 51.

I secure a series connection between batteries 53 and 54 through contactstrip 6| which conducts the current from the forward end of battery 54back between them to the rear end of battery 53.

Thus it will be observed that in this type of my invention, while itwould be convenient and practical to have the lights turn on one at atime yet it is thought that it will be most desirable to have bothlights in most cases turn on at the same time.

Switch contact member 62 is made to contact with battery 54 and isturned on by switch control knob 63 mounted in closure member |1.

It will be observed in connection with my invention that I provide inthe electric light bulbs 8 and 43 for instance, a filament that ispeculiarly designed and effective for this invention; wherein thefilament being coiled from one end to the other in the directionlongitudinally aligned with the tube in which it is mounted. Thus byceiling this filament in alignment with the reflector tube there issecured on the bright spot of light a circular image of the filamentmaking the focused spot of light more readily observed.

It will be noted also that lens 1 is especially manufactured for thisparticular target range finder and this lens is shaped in a mannermaking it fiat on one side and also flat on the other side with theexception of a central smaller middle portion which is convex. Thepurpose of this type of lens seen used with reector tube I6 is toprovide means for throwing the illumination which passes through thislens much more brightly and greater around the focused spot of light,thus better illuminating the target and its surroundings.

With this construction this invention establishes a substantialimprovement over the novel features shown, described and claimed in myformer application and what I claim in this new and improved inventionand desire to have protected, is:

1. A night target range finder for guns comprising a two compartmentcasing provided along the top with an elongated resilient grip slidablysecured to the casing for engaging a gun barrel for the support of thecasing, the upper of said compartments in the casing provided with alight, an adjustable mounting for the light, With a plurality ofadjusting screws; said mounting with said light disposed adjacent therear of the top compartment in the casing, a lens adjustably mounted inthe forward end of said upper compartment; said lens having a centralconcentrating portion and a peripheral portion having plane parallelfaces and an adjustable reflecting tube extending a major portion of thedistance from said lens to said light and having a greater diameter atthe rear end than the front end, an integral second and lowercompartment in said casing, an electric light mounted adjacent theforward end of said compartment, and lens means cooperating with saidlight, batteries mounted in said casing and operatively connected withboth of said electric lights and an electric switch op erativelyconnected in the circuit between said batteries and said lights for theselective control of said lights; whereby the operator may turn oneither light by itself or both lights together and whereby said upperlight with its lens may focus a bright spot of light on a target andwhereby a ood of light may be thrown about said focused spot of lightwhen desired.

2. A night target range nder for guns comprising a two compartmentcasing provided along the top with an elongated resilient grip slidablysecured to the casing for engaging a gun barrel for the support of thecasing, the upper of said compartments in the casing provided with alight, an annular mounting band for the support of the light andprovided with a plurality of transverse slots, adjusting screwssupporting the light and respectively held in said slots for theselective lateral adjustment of the light; said mounting with said lightdisposed adjacent the rear of the top compartment in the casing, a

lens adjustably mounted in the forward end of said upper compartment;said lens having a central concentrating portion and aperipheral portionhaving plane parallel faces and an adjustable reflecting tube extendinga major portion of the distance from said lens to said light and havinga greater diameter at the rear end than the front end, an integralsecond and lower compartment in said casing, an electric light mountedadjacent the forward end of said cornpartment and lens means cooperatingwith said light, batteries mounted in said casing and operativelyconnected with both of said electric lights and an electric switchoperatively connected in the circuit between said batteries and saidlights for the selective control of said lights; whereby the operatormay turn on either light by itself or both lights together and wherebysaid upper light with its lens may focus a bright spot of light on atarget and whereby a flood of light may be thrown about said focusedspot of light when desired.

CLEVELAND H. SCHENK.

